Yesterday Statistics Canada released a report on the impact of studying in public versus private high schools on students’ academic success, titled “Why Are Academic Prospects Higher for Private High School Students?” There are many possible implications for this report (despite it not acknowledging many other cultural factors beyond socioeconomic status, location, and religious affiliation), one of which I’d like…

When speaking recently at about some of the benefits of futures thinking in education, I went a little off-script and shared an anecdote. I was really nervous, but in hindsight the brief divergence from the written plan may have resonated more deeply than anything else I’d prepared. I’m reprising it below, with some further reflections. A friend and I were…

Let’s talk about solving problems! Yessss! <fist pump!> Scratch that – reverse it. Instead, let’s talk about solving Wicked Problems. “Wicked problems are difficult or impossible to solve because of incomplete, contradictory, and changing requirements that are often difficult to recognize. Moreover, because of complex interdependencies, the effort to solve one aspect of a wicked problem may reveal or create…

When I began this blog a year ago – just prior to beginning my Master of Design program at OCAD University – I mentioned wanting to share musings on the transformation of education written by others*. Shortly after that initial post, I received an incredibly thoughtful email from Catherine Cassidy**, a long-time friend whom I deeply admire. While not a professional…

As most students and teachers wrap up the school year, I’m at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina jumping both-feet-in to a short-term teaching gig. Duke TIP Field Studies is an enrichment program designed to offer extended learning opportunities to (hopefully) deeply engage nerdy kids. My amazing thesis advisor, Suzanne Stein, is a long-time TIP instructor (unable to make it…

Back in the day, children’s schools were set up as part of the industrial machine. Like ‘learning factories’, they were designed to pick up, mold, and spit out complacent, competent workers. The ‘empty vessel’ concept – where kids’ minds were seen as containers waiting to be filled with ‘Knowledge’ – was key in justifying this particular model of education. Of…

On the morning of February 7, after a particularly challenging night, I threw myself into the ring of a public speaking competition. I have zero training in oration, but I suppose after teaching for a decade, the prospect of talking in front of a group is less intimidating than it once was. I’d been given the last-minute chance to…

If you dig passionate spoken word poetry, check this out: I particularly love: “The winners of a rigged game should not get to write the rules” “Since when does being a teacher mean having to swear not to help… Since when does being a teacher mean having your hands tied, while the schoolhouse burns to the ground…” While the poet’s…

I was reading a blog earlier today and the writer began by apologizing for her post being ‘from a personal perspective’. Yikes! I tend to make things personal, and wasn’t aware that this might be a blogging no-no when it comes to being taken seriously. I spent much of the afternoon thinking about it, and realized: I don’t really care.…

It’s early morning. You step outside to a hazy, cloud-filled sky and humid air. The grass feels dewy between your toes, and the lake on the horizon shines mercury with barely a ripple. It’s time for a walk on the beach. The scene is quiet, the smell of freshwater enveloping you as you pause to stretch your arms. The water…

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I'd like to hear from others who may be interested in making a contribution to School from Scratch as a guest writer. If you've got something to say or share about the past, present or future state(s) of public education, and would like to write about it, let me know. You can reach me at amy.satterthwaite+schoolfromscratch [AT] gmail.com